“I have held the new Sony Zeiss e Mount 24mm to a very high standard. The 24mm f/1.4 Summilux is a world-class benchmark lens, one of the finest fast wide angle lenses made. It is of course a full frame lens, while the E mount Zeiss covers APS-C. Also, the Zeiss is an autofocus lens, so in some ways we're comparing peaches and apricots. Also, there is more than a $5,000 price difference between the lenses.Given all of the above, the 24mm Zeiss stands up to the Leica Summilux very well indeed. It bests it in some areas, holds its own in some, and falls slightly behind elsewhere. Overall this is a stunning performance. There is little vignetting, even wide open, and corners have very good resolution for a lens of this focal length and format. CA and flare is more of an issue with the Zeiss though.Those photographers who have been clamouring for fast primes for the NEX mount are starting to have their requests met. With the 24mm f/1.8 Zeiss Sonnar Sony has produced a lens which photographers will find more than exceeds expectations. At $1,000 it isn't inexpensive, but then considering how well it holds up to the industry's benchmark, costing almost 6X the price, it actually is a relative bargain”.http://www.luminous-landscape.com/revie ... w.shtml#24

Curious Antony why you would recommend against the 55-210mm on the NEX7? I don't have the NEx7 so it doesn't apply to me, but I do have the 55-210mm and use it very frequently on my NEX-5N - I'd consider it easily the best bang-for-the-buck lens made in eMount. The performance is very good, especially considering the price, the stabilization is excellent, and it has a very usable focal range for me - pairing it with the 18-55 for travel, or just sticking the 55-210mm on and going with it alone. I have 15+ lenses for my NEX line, but the 55-210 gets the most use. It often acts as a second body to my DSLR when I'm out birding with longer primes on the DSLR.

I know that 55-210mm is cheaper than 18-200mm. 55-210 is not a bad lens, but the reasons I suggest 18-200 instead are:For some reason, I feel that 55-210mm on NEX-7 just not sharp enough.The original poster stated "street photos", and I assume longer zoom isn't that practical for street photography. I could be wrong on this.18-200 covers better ranges, which means less need for changing lens.55-210mm is a bit longer than 18-200. Perhaps due to the filter being smaller, it looks even longer than 18-200. On NEX-7, it feels like pointing out a bit too much.

Thanks for the explanation on your rationale. Valid points to consider, and I definitely don't have the experience to know how it performs on the 7. Having all the info out there should help those looking at either lens decide which might be best for them and for the model of camera they're using!